Apple fans are used to gratis gaming for the iPhone and iPad, but tend not to call back then much about free games for macOS. This is a shame, because the Mac is a great games platform with plenty of excellent freebies.

Indeed, the Mac App store is positively packed with free games, and you tin option up some amazing Mac games elsewhere that are great fun to play without paying a penny. These aren't merely coincidental or hobbyist games, either, only total-blown, loftier-quality experiences.

Note that before playing for the first time, some titles may require yous to temporarily adjust your security settings in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Full general. Prepare 'Permit apps downloaded from' to 'Anywhere', launch the app once, confirm you're OK with it, and then revert your System Preferences settings to a higher level of security.

For more brilliant gaming options, read our roundup of the best Mac games, and our guide to the best free web browser games for Mac.

Basketmania

It'southward not the almost visually amazing game, only Basketmania is a giggle to play. Apply the dots to line up the first of a trajectory and fling the ball. It'southward piece of cake to pick upward but soon starts to offering a more challenging feel.

FREE | Download Basketmania

Best free Mac games: Basketmania

Beneath a Steel Sky

Below a Steel Heaven is a old science-fiction bespeak-and-click adventure game from back in 1994 (it was originally released on the Amiga). It's been reworked to run on OS X, and while the graphics aren't incredible it does take a real charm. Information technology'due south like reading a detective novel set in a cyberpunk future.

Gratis | Download Beneath a Steel Heaven

Best free Mac games: Beneath a Steel Sky

Brogue

Brogue is a roguelike adventure game for the Mac based upon the archetype run a risk game Rogue (showtime developed back in 1980). The levels, characters and enemies are all represented using letters and symbols, which may strike you as a bit odd just it'southward actually a slap-up representation of a globe.

Information technology's near similar a cross between a text adventure and an early video game. Information technology'south incredibly tough to play, but Rogue is a classic and Brogue is the best modern representation.

FREE | Download Brogue

Best free Mac games: Brogue

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The original Counter-Strike was released fashion dorsum in 2000, and is all the same available equally a paid-for game. The team-based Global Offensive followed in 2012, and was also paid-for, although it switched to free-to-play at the end of 2018, partly every bit a response to the success of titles such as Fortnite.

Global Offensive has the same anti-terrorist theme equally other games in the Counter-Strike serial, but focuses on online multiplayer action with two teams competing to achieve their objective, such as defusing a bomb or rescuing a grouping of hostages. There are several unlike game modes available, including Coincidental and Deathmatch, which are the easiest for new players who are but getting started.

At the end of each match you'll be rewarded with in-game currency that you can spend on upgrading your weapons and other gear, and as you improve y'all can piece of work your way up to the more advanced Competitive mode. If you're really adept then you tin can pay for a Prime Condition upgrade (£xi.29/$14.99) that gives you better boodle and teams you upwardly with other top players. Alternatively, the burrow potatoes amidst us can switch into Scout mode, and see how the professionals practise it.

Costless | Download Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Best free Mac games: Counter-Strike Global Offensive

DOTA two

Defense Of The Ancients - aka DOTA - and its sequel, DOTA 2, were amid the primal games that started the MOBA genre of online strategy games a few years ago. Fifty-fifty today, Valve claims that DOTA 2 is the most played game on Steam. Unfortunately, the Mac version of DOTA 2 was, shall we say, a chip erratic, and it took quite a while to come up upwards with a stable and reliable version.

The electric current version works perfectly well, though, and the age of the game means that you lot don't demand a super-powerful Mac to run information technology. However, DOTA 2 is quite a complex game, with dozens of hero characters that yous tin cull to play, each with their own weapons and powers that can bear on your style of play. Fortunately, the current version does include an improved tutorial to help you get started, and if you stick with it so DOTA 2 volition provide countless hours of challenging strategy activeness.

Costless | Download DOTA ii

Best free Mac games: DOTA 2

Dwarf Fortress

Like Brogue, Dwarf Fortress is another ASCII-based open roleplaying game. It'southward incredibly complex, as you lot explore the world and build your own fortresses. Y'all get an expedition team of dwarfs, and apply them to perform tasks like woodworking, farming and craft-making.

Yous then become to dig up the earth, mine for minerals and begin edifice your own globe. Minecraft owes it a large debt.

Costless | Download Dwarf Fortress

Best free Mac games: Dwarf Fortress

The Elder Scrolls: Legends

Legends takes the characters, setting, and artwork of the vast Elder Scrolls function-playing games and transfers them on to digital cards, which you'll collect in the game and apply to battle against both computer and online players. Information technology promises a large amount of unmarried-histrion content, but the biggest draw is sure to be the real-time online contest, for which you'll build your best deck to fix for tense battles. Andrew Hayward

Complimentary | Download The Elder Scrolls: Legends

Best free Mac games: The Elder Scrolls: Legends

Eternal Card Game

At a glance, Eternal looks a lot like Blizzard's wildly popular Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, but reviewers say it'southward a lot more than like Magic: The Gathering with having to play land cards and build mana. And if that all means nothing to yous, know this: it'due south a gratis-to-play online menu-battling game, it has a cool Wild Westward-meets-fantasy aesthetic, and nearly players seem to beloved it. Andrew Hayward

FREE | Download Eternal Card Game

Best free Mac games: Eternal Card Game

Eve Online

Eve Online has been available for Macs for quite some time, although the macOS version of the game didn't always perform very well, and it hasn't had a large following so far. Notwithstanding, some recent updates and a move to 64-fleck software should help to make Eve Online a fleck more than Mac-friendly.

It's a vast and remarkable game, giving you a galactic-calibration interplanetary sandbox to play in, where you tin can explore strange new worlds, start trading, or become stuck in with some space-faring combat. The game starts in a fairly conventional manner, allowing yous to choose from 4 different races, as well as a diversity of trading, gainsay and other skills. And, of course, you'll demand to cull a suitable transport in order to head off into space and begin your adventures.

The in-game economy is vast, and you tin spend your unabridged time just exploring and trading, or bring together one of the many factions that are constantly vying for power. Information technology'due south not an easy game to larn, though - even with the in-game tutorial for beginners - and then you can accept out an optional subscription, or buy a starter pack to help you heave your skills and ease yous into the game. The arrangement requirements for the dazzling outer-infinite graphics are pretty loftier too, then check that your Mac can handle the game before signing upwardly.

Costless | Play Eve Online

Best free Mac games: Eve Online

Fistful of Frags

If y'all desire a slap-up free offset-person shooter so Fistful of Frags is the game to get. It's congenital upon the Half Life 2 engine, and so looks the business and plays incredibly well. It'south set in the wild westward, and y'all have one-time weapons like pistols, rifles and shotguns.

Players work in teams, and four teams: Desperados, Vigilantes, Rangers and Banditos compete in each online game. Each game is packed with shut-range, tense gunfights.

Gratis | Download Fistful of Frags

Best free Mac games: Fistful of Frags

Fortnite

There's no doubt that Fortnite is 1 of the near popular games in the world at the moment, with the game's professional World Cup tournament recently offering millions of dollars in prize money to top players.

The rest of us non-professionals can get started easily enough, though, as the game's basic Battle Royale fashion is free to download and play - albeit with some pretty expensive Battle Packs that offer a variety of upgrades that tin assistance you progress more than quickly. It follows the standard Boxing Royale format, dropping 100 players onto an island or zone, where you can collect materials and weapons, building your own base and fighting to be one of the last players standing.

At that place'south likewise a Creative mode, which is free, where you tin blueprint your own island and invite friends to compete in your ain little Fortnite globe. Yet, the co-op, four-histrion Salve The Globe mode requires the purchase of an upgrade pack, with prices starting at £34.99/$39.99.

Gratis | Play Fortnite

Best free Mac games: Fortnite

Full Deck Solitaire

Solitaire is a classic menu game that's a bang-up way to while away an hr or ii. Full Deck Solitaire is a visually gorgeous version that's as well easy to choice up and play. Aside from that information technology's very much the Solitaire nosotros all know and love. A great costless addition to the Mac.

Gratuitous | Download Full Deck Solitaire

Best free Mac games: Full Deck Solitaire

Hearthstone

Hearthstone is an online game where you collect cards. Sounds deadening, but it's got around 40 million players so put your preconceived ideas away.

You earn cards past playing daily quests, and then battle your cards in online matches against other gamers (where you can win rare cards). You can't trade cards, yous tin simply win them in battles (this is a adept matter every bit information technology means there are no scams and fewer robots playing).

It's easy to pick up, quick to fit into your daily life and has an amazing community of players. There are in-app purchases, but you can get by simply playing the costless game.

FREE | Download Hearthstone

Best free Mac games: Hearthstone

League of Legends

League of Legends is a multiplayer boxing loonshit game (MOBA) and is one of the nigh popular games in the globe. You lot control a champion, and compete in matches against other players online.

You'll start out at a very low level and gain experience every bit you play the game. Information technology'southward a very like shooting fish in a barrel game to go started with, just is ultra-competitive among its fans. It's besides far deeper than y'all showtime doubtable, with a huge range of characters. A great costless game to play.

FREE | Download League of Legends

Best free Mac games: League of Legends

Lord of the Rings Online

LOTRO is a gratuitous strategy game based in JRR Tolkien's Eye-world. You create a grapheme and get to wander around Centre-earth, going through a main quest story.

While there is a bit of combat (against game monsters or other players), it has a huge corporeality of crafting where you can build objects and artifacts, and both farm and cook food. This gives it a charm that Tolkien fans will beloved.

FREE | Download Lord of the Rings Online

Best free Mac games: Lord Of The Rings Online

Manic Miner

A loving tribute to Matthew Smith's seminal 1980s platform game, Manic Miner finds you leaping through twenty single-screen caverns, on a mission to collect objects and not horribly die. The problem is, this being based on a 1980s game, dying comes often.

But stick with Manic Miner, gradually mastering its challenges, and you'll find a deviously designed classic platformer, even if it lacks the centre-searing colours and ear-smashing sound of the ZX Spectrum original.

Gratuitous | Download Manic Miner

Best free Mac games: Manic Miner

Marathon Trilogy

Before Bungie made Halo (originally a Mac game) it built Marathon, a first-person shooter set in space. Halo fans will recognise much that made it into Halo, although it'southward recognisably an older game.

Marathon has been updated by fans to work on Mac and a complimentary version can be downloaded. It's a little long in the tooth, simply a slap-up slice of gaming history.

FREE | Download Marathon Trilogy

Best free Mac games: Marathon Trilogy

Max Gentlemen

As everyone knows, a gentleman must wear a lid. And so it follows that to 'max' your gentleman status, you must wear all the hats.

Hence in this game you belt along, pilfering other people's hats by having yours magically jump from your head. Swooping birds must be avoided by moving the magic hat up and downward the stack and leaping from that betoken. And one you've maxed out your hats, you head to the pub for 1-on-ane lid and beer-guzzling battles with a drinking chum.

Costless | Download Max Gentlemen

Best free Mac games: Max Gentleman

NeonPlat 2

This fast-paced single-screen wraparound platform game finds y'all scooting along lazily globe-trotting platforms, trying to paint white ones blue. For reasons unknown, the other inhabitants of this neon realm hate your interior design skills and ready out to stop y'all.

Fortunately, you can unsportingly hurl balls you collect their fashion. Other than that, it'south a example of dodging and running until they clobber yous the traditional three times.

FREE | Download NeonPlat 2

Best free Mac games: NeonPlat 2

Pacapong

A game to set IP lawyers twitching, Pacapong finds 2 bats facing off, a maze of dots and ghosts between then. The ball is fired into a corridor, whereupon it takes on a famous course and starts munching dots.

If information technology ingests an alien bonus, an invader attacks the opposition's bat. Wait long plenty and a celebrity gaming ape starts hurling barrels into the air. (And Pacapong is precisely why remix culture should exist celebrated rather than curbed - it'due south mad and brilliant.)

Free | Download Pacapong

Best free Mac games: Pacapong

Realm of the Mad God

Preposterously addictive and blessed with some of the catchiest music in gaming, RotMG is a twin-stick shooter and massively multiplayer (branch) RPG that caused massive drops in productivity in the Macworld offices one Christmas. You can play in the browser or download information technology on Steam; either way the game is free. David Price

FREE | Download Realm of the Mad God

Best free Mac games: Realm of the Mad God

Shadowverse

With its many millions of active players, Blizzard'southward Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft feels like the de facto collectible card game today, but there are alternatives. Shadowverse is the latest, although information technology appears to have garnered a significant following in Nihon before getting translated into English. In fact, many reviewers claim it scratches an itch that Hearthstone simply cannot.

On the surface, nonetheless, they seem very like: yous'll take turns playing a creature or hero carte du jour on the lath, and then they'll battle it out, while the 400+ collectible cards offer a load of deck variety. Information technology's gratis-to-play, too, which means pumping in money tin can bring big advantages, just at to the lowest degree you tin can try it out and probably play quite a scrap without spending. Andrew Hayward

Gratis | Play Shadowverse

Best free Mac games: Shadowverse

Shotgun FunFun

Probably the most fun you tin can accept in five minutes. Shotgun FunFun is a side-scrolling activity game in which you have to shoot every bit many zombies every bit possible with a shotgun. It'due south impaired fun, simply definitely fun.

Complimentary | Download Shotgun FunFun

Best free Mac games: Shotgun FunFun

Slime Time

The most roughshod game in this list, Slime Time finds a footling jet-packing CEO trying to cover up a toxic waste crisis. Said executive blasts virtually, blowing upwardly sewer pipes that spew green goo and lasering creatures that sally from the toxic pool below.

Recoil-based controls wrong-foot y'all from the first - firing the laser downwardly also moves you up, and left/right shoots in that direction but flings y'all the other style - and the difficulty is such you lot'll consider yourself a gaming genius on scoring more than than nothing. It's infuriatingly compelling, though.

Gratis | Download Slime Time

Best free Mac games: Slime Time

Spelunky

This indie darling is best known in remade form on Xbox 360 and PS Vita, but its origins go way back to 2008 on Windows. This download is an unofficial Mac take on that beginning version.

And what a game it is, featuring a little spelunker exploring procedurally generated caves packed full of ladders, precarious drops, venomous spiders and loads of bling. Only surviving is a test; zooming through levels at a charge per unit the game'due south happy with is a true challenge for even the most skilled gamer.

FREE | Download Spelunky

Best free Mac games: Spelunky

Starcraft 2: Starter Edition

Starcraft ii is one of the finest games yous can get for the Mac. That you can get an (near) full Starcraft 2 game for free is jaw-dropping.

This strategy game sees you decision-making three unlike races: Terrans, Zerg and the Protoss. Each race has different weapons, craft and abilities (and each feels magnificently different to play). You wage battles against one or two of the other races.

In that location'south a great narrative story, and yous can play five missions from the full game in the Starter Edition. You tin can also play other gamers online, and it'south a cracking multiplayer experience.

The original Starcraft has gone gratis too, along with the Brood War expansion.

FREE | Download Starcraft ii: Starter Edition

Best free Mac games: Starcraft 2

Super Crate Box

A violent twitch platform shooter, Super Crate Box tasks y'all with leaping most platforms, blasting running skeleton heads, and collecting boxes. If the skeletons achieve the fire, they reappear at the top of the screen in madder, faster form, so keeping their numbers downwardly is cardinal; but but collecting boxes improves your score and racks upwards the points needed to unlock new arenas and weaponry.

The game'due south an adrenaline-rush juggling act, and so, frequently over in seconds, but compelling enough to stick with until you're armed to the teeth.

Gratuitous | Download Super Crate Box

Best free Mac games: Super Crate Box

Super Stickman Golf 3

Golf? Isn't that just people striking tiny balls with sticks? How very dull. But in Super Stickman Golf game 3, you wear hats that give yous special abilities, wield clubs that likewise have crazy powers, and thwack assurance most floating islands, in dungeons, and through infinite stations in cypher-gravity.

For costless, you become xx full courses and online turn-by-turn matches with friends; coughing upwardly for premium (£2.99/$ii.99) and you get nonetheless more places to show off your swing.

Gratis | Download Super Stickman Golf game 3

Best free Mac games: Super Stickman Golf

Squad Fortress 2

This is the gold medal honor. Team Fortress two is an amazingly well-balanced online shooter with a wonderful cartoon fashion.

Even though Squad Fortress ii is multiplayer-only, it's piece of cake to jump in and beginning playing on your ain. It's ridiculously skillful fun, with a range of genuinely unlike grapheme types. You'll presently become utterly addicted to helping your squad win each shootout.

Free | Download Team Fortress 2

Teeworlds

If y'all retrieve a game called Worms, then you'll beloved Teeworlds. It's like Worms, only gratis.

Up to 16 players can play at once, and you lot can see other gamers online. Information technology's open-source and developed by users who play the game themselves. You tin likewise create your own maps using the in-game map editor.

FREE | Download Teeworlds

Best free Mac games: Teeworlds

Touchgrind

This game from iOS makes its way to the Mac in style. Touchgrind is a skateboarding game where y'all identify ii fingers on the trackpad to guide the skateboard around.

Information technology's a real test of skill, simply also an innovate control way that makes a groovy change from the usual mouse and keyboard routine.

FREE | Download Touchgrind

Best free Mac games: Touchgrind

Trove

Minecraft has become a global phenomenon in the last few years, with millions of players exploring its mesomorphic pixelated world - including many young children getting their first taste of gaming. Just Minecraft isn't free, and so if you're looking for a free alternative and then Trove is a good place to get-go.

Information technology provides the aforementioned open-world freedom every bit Minecraft, allowing you to build your ain home inside the game world, or letting your imagination run wild every bit you create vast castles and other buildings to play in. All the same, Trove besides has elements of RPG action that let you to go off and explore dungeons and other locations inside the globe, and to bring together up with other players as you lot battle monsters and search for subconscious treasures. There's besides a Battleverse mode that lets you become head-to-head in combat against your friends.

The basic version of Trove is free to download and play, but there are expansion packs that provide access to new classes and areas within the game - much like DLC content for traditional RPG games - and some of these tin be quite pricey, then continue an center on the kids if they're playing with your Steam account.

Complimentary | Download Trove

Best free Mac games: Trove

World of Warcraft

Slight discussion of warning: Globe of Warcraft is genuinely addictive.

This online roleplaying game puts several players together and keeps them edifice up their characters. World of Warcraft is one of the greatest reckoner experiences ever made, and has legions of fans.

It'due south free to play upwards until level 20, but you can buy a subscription that unlocks the remainder of the game. Most people play the subscription model so it'll just be gratis until you get hooked and start wanting to play the extra levels.

FREE | Download Earth of Warcraft

Best free Mac games: World of Warcraft

Zen Pinball ii

Pinball's great on an iPad, but Macs take the ascendancy to render tables in a properly centre-dazzling fashion. And Zen Pinball'due south tables are certainly dazzling, marrying realistic physics with larger-than-life animatronics and special effects.

Y'all can buy tables in-app (including Marvel and Star Wars ones), but chilling fairytale Sorcerer'southward Lair is entirely free. Information technology's a great tabular array, packed with mini-games, ramps and missions, as y'all venture into a haunted mansion and join forces with the spectral Whisper in an try to defeat the titular Sorcerer.

FREE | Download Zen Pinball 2

Best free Mac games: Zen Pinball 2